Tiqua gambling appears dead - again

After raising hopes that El Paso's Tigua Indians would regain the right to operate a casino, a Dallas state senator dashed them on Tuesday.

Sen. John Corona, a Republican, decided not to try to move his bill out of committee. It would have permitted licenses for casinos in several big cities and for three Indian tribes, including the Tiguas. It also would have allowed slot machines in some other border cities and would have changed the law to encourage Texas horse racing.

Corona held a press conference earlier this month, saying the prospects of getting a bill through the legislature seemed brighter than they've been in recent years. But by Tuesday, he decided to abandon the effort.

The Austin American-Statesman reported that Corona made the decision after learning that support for gambling in the Texas House was tepid. He decided to pull his bill rather than make his colleagues cast a controversial vote on a doomed bill.